Author Notes:I couldn't hold off posting this chapter any longer, It is totally my favorite and I couldn't wait to share it. Enjoy

Chapter 37-It's Over

Belle appeared before them, dashing in front of the Beast shielding him with her arms as best she could. Nearly overcome with pain The Beast looked up at her weakly "Belle?" He knew he must be either already dead or close to dying, It couldn't that she was actually there, and yet she looked so real to him.

His heart nearly leapt out of his chest as reality hit that she was alive and truly had come back to him! In his eyes she had never looked more beautiful than she did right now.

She was soaking from the rain, her hair flying loose and she was panting hard from running. "Stop it, Please Gaston," She managed to say in between breaths "Just leave him alone."

The hunter sternly approached Belle keeping the knife raised. "Get out of the way NOW!" Almost instantly Belle regained her full strength and returned his expression, staying firm in place. "NO,I am not going to let you kill him! He's done nothing to you, or to anyone, and he means more to me than you'll ever understand, so if you want him, then you kill me first."

Gaston took another step forward, laughing "So your both willing to die to save the other, seems I was right about those feelings of yours for this monster, Belle." "What do you even know about feelings Gaston? You have never shown compassion, tenderness, or love towards anyone, and that makes YOU the monster!"

Gaston now stood mere inches from her, lightning flashed off of the knife's gleaming blade. "You know what I think Belle; we should have just put you and your pitiful family in the asylum the moment you first arrived!" There was no warning as the deep rage that lay dormant within her finally boiled over and her fist met with his face, in a well-aimed blow.

The time that followed all seemed to happen in a slow pace of motion, as Gaston staggered back dropping the knife. Belle had no memory of making a move to pick it, but it was suddenly there in her hand, held tightly, locked in her grip.

She focused her eyes, still blazing with fury, on the coward of a man who stood before her, pointing the blade directly at his quivering throat. "Don't you EVER talk about my family that way EVER again!"

She kept her voice steady and her hand wrapped firmly around the handle. Gaston looked blankly, first at her then shifted his gaze to the knife. "Belle don't be stupid, just give it to me…" he spoke quietly, as he might try to calm this side of Belle he had never before encountered.

As he reached his hand out towards her, she swiped the weapon at him with true aim, cutting him across the arm. He ripped his arm away from her, a dangerous look growing on his face. "YOU CRAZY FOOL, ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!"

From where he was laying the Beast could partly see Belle's face, and he knew that regardless of her anger, she would not take this man's life out of spite or revenge. She had so much kindness in her, it was never a threat, and she had no desire to do anything but protect the ones she loved.

Now it was she who was coming closer, backing the hunter away from his prey, "It's over Gaston, Leave this place! GET OUT NOW!"

Gaston looked back down at the Beast, then again to Belle. "Oh it's over is it? GET THIS RIGHT,IT WILL NEVER BE OVER!" His voice grew louder against the thunder. He had moved to the railing and with one upward lunge, he skillfully landed, standing now above them. "I NEVER LOSE TO ANYONE, AND I WILL SURRENDER TO A STUPID MINDED GIRL AND HER CREATURE!"

He screamed this up to the heavens, waving his good arm more dramatically with each word. Then all at once his footing was lost to the slick rain, his face turned ashen and he plummeted backwards, leaving only a lingering sound of pure terror behind him. The lightning filled the sky one final time and the rain began to reside.

Belle stood there blinking silently, her eyes on the spot where Gaston had just been standing, now vacant. It had happened so fast there was nothing she could have done to help him. Still her conscience was eating at her just the same

She hadn't meant for anyone to get hurt, but really this was the only way for things to end. She knew Gaston meant what he had said and he wouldn't have hesitated in killing them both. Despite any feelings of guilt she was still relieved that the danger was now gone forever.

Dropping the knife Belle ran back to where the Beast still lay. She couldn't get She held him in her arms, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I wanted to stop them, I told them not to come here, and they just wouldn't listen." She was talking so fast she could hardly understand herself.

The Beast didn't care though, she could say anything thing she wanted, but all that mattered was that she was there, with him, holding him and looking so beautiful. "Belle, it's all right." He choked out feeling completely overwhelmed and despite the pain radiating from where the arrow had struck; he had never felt such joy.

Belle cringed as she noticed the arrow, and while it didn't appear life threating, it was a very serious wound, he was lucky it hadn't hit his heart. The Beast flinched in pain as she tenderly made contact with the area. "Please, can you take it out?"

Belle eased the arrow out, allowing only a small amount of blood to escape. But the pain of the arrows removal still caused him to roar in agony. Guilt flooded her as she recalled the night of the storm, how close she had come to losing him then and now this had occurred, which was of her own doing. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have come here; all of this was my fault. It would have just been better if I had never come in the first place, then…maybe none of this would have happened."

Her words filled the Beast with anguish, and brought tears back to his eyes, he didn't care who saw them. How could she honestly believe that to be true? Didn't she realize what she had come to mean to him?

He reached out a paw, and gently stroked her face, then moving to caress her hair as she laid back down a crossed his chest. "Don't you ever think that way, not for a single moment. If you had not come, then my life would still be just a meaningless existence. You did something I thought no one could ever do…you taught me how to love again, I owe you everything and more."

Though he was having a hard time getting this out, Belle heard it all and understood what he was saying. She looked up at him from where she lay, taking his words in and allowing them to unlock her heart. All of her own feelings that had been slowly taking over her mind, it was now that she too finally gained a full understanding of what they meant and it was equally powerful for her "And you have made my life so much more than anything I ever thought it could be. You have shown me such loving kindness that I didn't think I would ever find."

She held back for a moment, uncertain if she should relieve what she now knew, partly afraid he would not have it, but after what they had gone through tonight there was no reason to hold it back, life was far too short for such worries. "Beast, I love you." She whispered softly, clutching his soft fur in her fingers.

His arms came around her holding her close in a passionate embrace which she happily returned. "I love you too." He whispered back, his voice filled with emotion. They stayed like that; speaking no more words, there was none left to be said. Behind them the last petal, dropped from the wilting stem.